This invention relates generally to applying dental brace brackets and more particularly to a new and improved process and apparatus for applying dental brace brackets to the teeth.
A known dental or orthodontic process for realigning the teeth in order to bring them into a more desirable alignment includes the use of structure commonly known as braces. In general, braces comprise a plurality of brackets, one of which is affixed to each of the teeth whose relative re-alignment is desired, and one or more arches or wires attached to the brackets. In use, the stressed arches or wires pull on the brackets in such a way as to urge the teeth into a desired alignment. Each bracket generally comprises a mounting portion having a suitable central groove or throat to engage an aligning arch or wire and or more suitable projections adjacent the throat to receive holding means such as smaller wires to hold the aligning arch or wire in engagement with the throat. The bracket also includes a backing or suitable attaching portion rigidly connected to the mounting for securing the mounting to the tooth, as for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,052,027 to Wallsheim. Thus, the aligning wire exerts a force on each tooth, through the bracket, to urge the teeth into the desired alignment.
Brackets known in the prior art generally hold the mounting portion to the tooth by means of a band which is fitted around the tooth and which is composed of a suitable material such as a relatively thin metal adapted to be fitted securely to the tooth. The process of applying the band with its attached mounting to the tooth comprises selecting a band of suitable size to be initially fitted around the tooth, urging the band around the tooth and deforming the band by the application of pressure thereto to substantially conform with the contour of the tooth and obtain a firm engagement between band and tooth. It is also known in the prior art to use an adhesive to aid in securing the band or backing to the tooth, as for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,452,436 to De Woskin and U.S. Pat. No. 3,250,003 to Collito.
It is further often desirable to vary the angle of the mounting throat with respect to the long axis of the tooth to achieve a desired direction of aligning force between the aligning arch or wire and the tooth through the bracket. It is apparent that when using the band commonly offered to attach the bracket to the tooth, the band must be aligned substantially perpendicular to the long axis of the tooth in order to be securely attached to the tooth. Therefore, the choices of orientation of the mounting with respect to the long access of the tooth are limited by the rigid attachment of the mounting to the band. Also, brackets available are generally pre-manufactured with the mounting portion having its throat orientation fixed with respect to the band so that the throat is substantially perpendicular to the long axis of the tooth. Although it is possible to manufacture and provide brackets with the mounting throat attached to the band at various angles, it will be apparent that this approach has numerous shortcomings. Specifically, it would be most convenient for the orthodontist applying the braces to be able to align the throat of each mounting upon the application thereof. In order to do this with presently available band-type brackets, the orthodontist must either attach the mountings to the brackets himself to give each mounting throat the desired alignment, or keep on hand an enormous supply of brackets having mountings with every conceivable angle of alignment and choose among these to meet the needs of each patient. It is apparent that either of these solutions is most inconvenient, expensive and time consuming for the orthodontist. Also, the use of bands is known to have other deleterious side effects such as the promotion of decay of tooth surfaces adjacent or under the bands.
Further, it is apparent that the above-described method of applying brackets to the teeth is not only time consuming but also causes a great deal of discomfort to the patient. Moreover, as the patient must similarly spend a great deal of time in the dentist's chair while the brackets are applied, it is obvious that the process of the prior art is most inconvenient to the patient as well. Additionally, the expense of this process, including the time required to perform it, adds to the cost of the process to the patient. Thus, it would be desirable for both the patient and orthodontist to provide a process and apparatus for applying dental brace brackets that overcomes these shortcomings of the prior art.